LONDON: Protesters took out a slow vehicular procession on major UK roads on Monday to demand government action against the hike in fuel prices.
The action came as senior criminal lawyers staged a second walkout in England and Wales against years of government cuts in their fees, intensifying the “heat of discontent” as the strike spread across Britain.
Rail workers have already staged several pauses to press for better pay as Britain’s headline inflation hit a 40-year high of just under 10 per cent, fueled by the war in Ukraine.
On the roads, a social media campaign called Fuel Price Stand Against Tax prompted drivers to drive deliberately slowly on motorways and other main routes, demanding the government cut fuel charges.
One of the affected motorways was the M4, including the Prince of Wales Bridge, which connects England and Wales.
Welsh Police said they had arrested 12 people for driving under 30 miles (48 km) per hour for “prolonged”.
Vicky Stamper He lost his job as a truck driver last month after the company was forced to cut costs due to rising fuel prices.
“I’m here because I’ve lost my job because of fuel, and greedy people are taking all our money,” she told AFP at the border in England.
Addressing any member of the public aggrieved by the action, stamper Said “we are doing this for everyone”.
“If they want to scream, instead of crying, join us.”
‘no option’
The government insists it has already cut fuel tariffs once, and is offering other financial aid to the public, while Russia has been accused of igniting a rapid rise in energy prices. .
“The daily life of the people should not be disrupted,” a spokesman said.
The government also says it is meeting the demands of criminal barristers by offering a 15 percent increase in fees from the end of September.
But the increase will only apply to new cases, not tens of thousands accumulating in the backlog as British courts wrestle with the fallout of the COVID pandemic.
outside the royal court justice In central London, barristers in black gowns and wigs insisted the government had significantly extended their offer as they walked out for a second week and vowed to launch further attacks.
protesting barristers Emma Heath34, said defense lawyers could spend eight hours preparing a client to seek legal aid and could only be paid £126 ($153) by the government.
“We fully appreciate its impact, but until the government wakes up and looks at what is really happening to criminal legal aid funding, we have no choice,” he told AFP.
justice secretary Dominic Rabo – A former lawyer – has called the strike action “regrettable” and said it will “only delay justice for the victims”.
The action came as senior criminal lawyers staged a second walkout in England and Wales against years of government cuts in their fees, intensifying the “heat of discontent” as the strike spread across Britain.
Rail workers have already staged several pauses to press for better pay as Britain’s headline inflation hit a 40-year high of just under 10 per cent, fueled by the war in Ukraine.
On the roads, a social media campaign called Fuel Price Stand Against Tax prompted drivers to drive deliberately slowly on motorways and other main routes, demanding the government cut fuel charges.
One of the affected motorways was the M4, including the Prince of Wales Bridge, which connects England and Wales.
Welsh Police said they had arrested 12 people for driving under 30 miles (48 km) per hour for “prolonged”.
Vicky Stamper He lost his job as a truck driver last month after the company was forced to cut costs due to rising fuel prices.
“I’m here because I’ve lost my job because of fuel, and greedy people are taking all our money,” she told AFP at the border in England.
Addressing any member of the public aggrieved by the action, stamper Said “we are doing this for everyone”.
“If they want to scream, instead of crying, join us.”
‘no option’
The government insists it has already cut fuel tariffs once, and is offering other financial aid to the public, while Russia has been accused of igniting a rapid rise in energy prices. .
“The daily life of the people should not be disrupted,” a spokesman said.
The government also says it is meeting the demands of criminal barristers by offering a 15 percent increase in fees from the end of September.
But the increase will only apply to new cases, not tens of thousands accumulating in the backlog as British courts wrestle with the fallout of the COVID pandemic.
outside the royal court justice In central London, barristers in black gowns and wigs insisted the government had significantly extended their offer as they walked out for a second week and vowed to launch further attacks.
protesting barristers Emma Heath34, said defense lawyers could spend eight hours preparing a client to seek legal aid and could only be paid £126 ($153) by the government.
“We fully appreciate its impact, but until the government wakes up and looks at what is really happening to criminal legal aid funding, we have no choice,” he told AFP.
justice secretary Dominic Rabo – A former lawyer – has called the strike action “regrettable” and said it will “only delay justice for the victims”.